


A Chance Meeting

by ChromeMist



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Birthday Presents, Dragons, F/M, First Meetings, Gen, Mermaid Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:40:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23680039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChromeMist/pseuds/ChromeMist
Summary: Luka just wanted to be lazy, maybe eat some food. He hadn't planned on meeting the most beautiful mermaid he'd ever seen. The gold didn't hurt either.
Relationships: Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 7
Kudos: 152





	A Chance Meeting

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Quickspinner](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quickspinner/gifts).



> Happy birthday to Quickspinner! This is influenced by her fic 'The Sky and the Sea.' Please go read it and give it and her some love! I'm pretty happy with how this turned out. Quick I hope you enjoy it too!

This was supposed to be an easy trip to the Golden Kingdom. With their reinforced cargo hold laden with piles of gold, paintings, jewels, and other such treasures, they had expected pirates. Pirates were everywhere nowadays. It had become a real nuisance trying to get their little kingdom’s bribe for military aide to the large empire. Multiple attempts with scouting ships had found one way around the continent to be easier. It seemed that many ships steered clear of a dormant volcanic island. At first it was thought to be used by the pirates as a place to maroon others.

Oh, how the captain wished that was true now, as he watched his men scramble for weapons. swords, bayonets, and pistols... Anything to try and scare off their unwanted guest. The large unwanted guest that was currently making their ship dip dangerously low with the extra weight of _a dragon_. A dragon that was currently completely ignoring his frightened men and was staring at their prized acquisition, laying with her hands chained together in her tank while the sun bounced off golden scales.

'Take the sea devil and leave, please!' the captain pleaded to the dragon in his mind, not daring to speak and gain its attention. The mermaid had been more trouble than worth it when she'd been caught and given to him as a last minute addition to the bribe. Unfortunately, at that moment, a stray bullet bounced off a scale and grazed the sensitive membrane of a wing. With a loud roar, the dragon turned its head and opened its massive jaw. The last thing the captain saw was blazing red shooting from its mouth.

***

It was shaping up to be just another lazy day for Luka on his isolated mountain island. He lay sprawled on an outcropping of rocks, letting the sunshine warm his dark scales. He yawned wide, his forked tongue flopping out as he scrunched up his eyes. He really should go hunting though. It was about time for his next big meal. Although, the local mer clans ( _pods or schools_ , they're called pods or schools and he should remember that so his mother doesn't _thwack_ him over his head again) were scheduled for their hunting later today. He could just wait and drop in for his tribute of the hunt; an exchange, plus any gold they found sunk, they offered for his protection of this area.

Not many boats came this way anymore, which was both a blessing and a curse. On the one claw, it meant he was keeping his word and doing a good job. On the other claw, no new treasures for his hoard.

Luka grumbled as he flipped over, letting the sun warm his other side. His poor hoard was lacking. He already had his prized piece; a blue gem his sister had recognized from pictures she'd seen while traipsing around in human form. Apparently, it was cursed, she'd told him. And that's why she should have it, according to Juleka, since she already had bad luck. He had chased her out of his den after that, and she was lucky she was kin or she wouldn't even be allowed back on his island.

Luka tilted his large head and squinted up at the position of the sun. Yes, just about hunting time. He gave a great sigh as he rose up, stretching his wings and tail first, before rolling his rear up to stretch out all four legs. Luka flapped his wings a few times before squatting. Preparing to jump off and begin making his way down to the hunting grounds, he came to a complete halt. A scent wafted by his nose on the breeze as it fluttered through his mane.

He knew that smell. Loved it, coveted it, his very being sang for it. _Gold_. Luka tilted his head again in the direction of the wind, flaring his nostrils in order to get more of that rich scent. A lot of gold by the smell of it. Luka rumbled deep in his chest as he took off from his perch, following the scent on the wind. He rose up to cloud level, letting his light underbelly and wing membranes camouflage his aerial approach.

As the scent became stronger, Luka spotted a ship. It looked large enough for him to land on. The only problem was a large ship meant more men to run it. He thought to himself, ' _Well, that's fine I suppose. As long as_ -'

He cut off his own thoughts as the ship grew closer, and the inhabitants on the deck grew clearer. Men were milling about, doing whatever it was they did. That's not what caught his attention though, and set his blood boiling. Sunlight was bouncing off a large glass container set on the ship. And inside that container was a bound mermaid.

' _Capturing one in MY territor_ y?' He thought angrily. Steam rolled out of his nostrils as his anger rose. ' _These men think they can steal from me and get away with it_?' Nevermind that merfolk were not a part of his hoard, but they were still his to protect. These men would never live to see the sun again.

Luka tucked his wings and let gravity take him down. Pointing his head towards the boat and letting out a great roar, he came screaming out of the cloud bank. He couldn't hear past the wind whistling in he ears, but he could see the men scrambling around deck. As he got closer, Luka opened his wings, letting them buffer his decent. He couldn't sink the ship, nor could he pick it up. So, he settled for rapidly flapping his wings until he alighted on the deck. He could feel the ship toss and dip with his sudden weight 

All around him men screamed and ran. 'Useless fools.' He thought, paying them and their weapons no mind for the moment. He swung his head around, trying to find the glass container. Gold and red flashes caught his attention and he turned, and immediately froze on the spot. His vision zeroed down to only _her_. He couldn't feel anything hitting his tough scales. Luka rumbled curiously as he looked at her in her container.

The most beautiful mermaid he'd ever seen. Bright reds and golds in the shades of some of his most precious treasures. Extra fins, spines on her tail, back, and arms. Hair as dark as the sky on a moonless night, and eyes as blue as the sea itself. She was exotic, not like the colorful merfolk inhabiting the reefs in his area. More like his mother, beautiful and dangerous. She stared back at him with wide, pleading eyes, raising her bound hands to the glass.

It was at that moment he felt a sharp pain in his wings between the bones. Luka let out a roar, turning his head to where the majority of the men were gathered. Without hesitation, he opened his muzzle wide. He felt the burning rising up his throat from his belly right before the fire exploded from his mouth. Normally he didn't care to kill. A dead human couldn't warn others to stay away from him. But these men, who had stolen and chained a mermaid. These men he relished in burning.

Shutting his mouth and swallowing the remaining fire back down, Luka turned back to the mermaid. He could hear the remaining men screaming and scrambling, but he once again paid them no mind. The mermaid was now huddled at the bottom of her container, wide eyes staring up at him. Thinking she was afraid of him, he lowered his body and tucked his wings, making himself as non-threatening to her as possible. He cooed and rumbled lightly in his throat as he inched closer to her. 

'I won't hurt you. I promise, I want to help.' He vocalized, even knowing merfolk didn't really understand his language, and vice versa. He hoped he could portray that in his body language enough. He brought his nose right up against the glass and stared at her. She hesitated a moment, before she uncurled herself and floated closer. She put her chained hands back on the glass, right on the other side of his nose. 

Luka looked at her a moment more, just admiring her. Up closer he could see red flecks splattered across her nose and cheeks. The sun brought out the lighter streaks of blue in her midnight dark hair. And her eyes... Still the richest blue he'd ever seen. Not even his most precious gem could compare.

'You're so beautiful. Breathtaking. I could sit and look at you for hours and never tire.' He cooed at her. She tilted her head curiously, feeling the rumbling vibrate into her water, but not understanding. Luka pushed out a wistful sigh. For once, he wished he could use his energy to shift into his human form to talk to her. But that form was useless to him on a burning ship filled with gold, angry men, and a _very_ pretty mermaid.

He shifted his eyes from her, to the open ocean, and back to her. She followed his gaze before looking back at him, confusion written on her face. Luka tried a different approach. He rose up to his full height and pried off the top of her container. The men began screaming again, not about the fire now but him setting the mermaid free. Luka stretched his wings out on either side of him and brought them forward, hiding his head and the mermaid from view. He watched through the rolling water as she huddled down at the bottom, her spines flaring. He simply stuck his nose into the container, hovering just above the water. He jerked his head in the direction of the ocean while still looking directly at her.

The mermaid regarded him for a moment, before slowly lifting herself off the bottom. She clicked and chittered at him, pointing to herself and then to the ocean beyond his wing. He had no idea what she was saying, but her motions made her message clear. Taking a deep breath, Luka plunged his nose into the water, just far enough for her to reach and get a good grip on the ridges of his snout. Retracting his snout, he brought the mermaid up with his head. Water rushed off them and to the deck, but he paid it and the men no mind when the beautiful blue eyes he'd started to fall in love with were staring right back at him even closer now.

Luka's eyes closed halfway as he rumbled at her. 'I wish I could keep you, but I can't. Please be safe my beautiful one.' Her eyes widened and her claws tightened on the edge of the scale she was clinging to. As quickly as he could, he lowered his wings and flipped his head, tossing the mermaid as far into the ocean as he could. He watched as she flew, shrieking and clicking tail-over-head until she hit the water and sank.

Luka looked longingly at the point where she submerged, before turning his attention back to the boat. Now... About his gold...

***

Hours later found Luka slowly making his way back to his island, a corner of a large sheet clutched tightly in each claw. All the treasure from the ship had been laid on the sheet by the remaining men. When the fires had been put out, the last of them had gathered all the gold and jewels from below deck and offered it to him, in hopes that he would leave them in peace. Luka had pondered, briefly, about letting them go. But seeing the now empty container out of the corner of his eye sealed their fate.

After carefully taking off and flying a few feet from the boat, Luka had circled back around and let loose the fire within him. He made sure, this time, to cover the entire ship. He watched as some of them jumped into the water, snorting as he knew that would be hopeless. They were too far from any land. They'd be picked off by exhaustion or sharks.

Luka breathed a sigh of relief when his mountain island came into view. He picked up his pace, just a little, very eager to get his newest treasures settled. As he reached the opening to his den, a flash of gold caught his eye from far below near the edge of his island. Had he dropped some into the water in his haste? Luka would have to go down later and check. If he could smell the gold still, maybe he could fish it out somehow.

Landing carefully on the ledge, Luka began dragging his newest additions in. All of a sudden though, a noise rose up from over the clattering of treasure. He rose to his full height and tilted his head, trying to discern the sound.

Splashing and shrill crying, not uncommon sounds of the merfolk above water. That's what he heard, and hope flared up in his chest, smoke flowing out his nostrils. The flash of gold, _was it her_? Did she follow him? Excited and hopeful, he dropped his treasures, not caring that they were now scattered all over. Luka took great leaps, making his way back to the outcropping. He skittered to a halt, his wings spreading to buffer him and he gripped the edge with his claws. Dust and pebbles rained down the edge Luka peered down into the water through the dust and, yes! There she was!

The beautiful mermaid he'd saved was in the shallows of his island, slapping her tail, screeching, making all kinds of ruckus to get his attention. Pure joy flooded through him as he rumbled down at her.

'Beautiful one, you're here!' He emitted a small plume of fire and smoke, before launching himself off the ledge. She looked up, her actions and vocalizations quieting. Those clear blue eyes he'd fallen for watched him as he landed in the shallows in front of her. Luka folded his wings, then lowered his body into a laying position and stared at her.

The mermaid regarded him a moment before inching her body forward. She clicked and chittered at him as she moved. Luka raised a brow, before shaking his head and rumbling deep in his chest. The mermaid peered up at him a moment again before opening her mouth once more.

"Can you understand me now?" She asked in the Common Tongue. Luka smiled the best he could and nodded his head. The mermaid sighed in relief, then raised her still bound hands up to him. "Do you know how difficult it is to swim with your hands bound?" She demanded, eyes slightly glaring up at him.

Luka bowed his head, cooing sadly at her to show her he was sorry. He really should have thought of that. He had just been so distracted by her pretty eyes...and dark hair...and colorful scales...okay... He was distracted by all of her.

The mermaid regarded him a moment with scrutinizing eyes before nudging on a lip ridge. "Open up please?" Curiosity piqued his interest, so he did as she asked. She lifted her hands up to a large front tooth and wedged the sharp tip between the cuff and her flesh. "Bite down please?" She asked, closing her eyes and turning her head away.

Luka did as she asked, gently biting down, his sharp teeth cutting through the metal easily. He made quick work of the other, cooing sadly as the cuffs fell into the shallows, revealing the reddened skin underneath. She turned her head back, watching him as he poked his forked tongue out, lapping gently at the wounds.

She giggled, pushing on his snout gently. "It's okay. They'll heal soon. So." She said, sitting up straight, her voice taking on a firm tone. "Can you shift forms? It's a little hard to talk like this. And I'd really like to know the name of my rescue dragon."

Luka nodded and closed his eyes, gathering his energy. He'd honestly been hoping for this. As much as he hated the human form, it would allow him to communicate better with her. A tingling sensation flowed over him as his magic seeped into his limbs and scales, morphing them into skin much like hers. Luka shuddered as the tingling faded, signaling his transformation was complete. When he opened his eyes, he was sitting in the water, knees almost touching her tail.

"Hello beautiful one. My name is Luka." He raised his hand up, holding it open and vertical. The mermaid looked at it, a blush rising on her dappled cheeks. She slid her hand up and pressed it against his.

"I'm Marinette. It's nice to meet you."

Both smiled at each other as their fingers twined, linking them together.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it, please follow me on Tumblr! My writing blog is chromemist, and my main blog is Justknitstuff.


End file.
